Welcome to Curriculum Planning, Design and Implementation.



Course Description:

Pennsylvania educators design classroom curriculum based on academic standards for their academic content area. This class guides teachers to understand and implement content integration through demonstrations with both literacy and math. When educators are prepared to teach using an integrated approach to learning, students benefit as they receive instruction that is more substantive. The Academic Standards for Reading, Speaking, Writing, Listening and Math will be reviewed thoroughly and educators will be expected to apply them to specific lessons in the content area in which they teach.

Please Follow the Directions in Each Section Below and Use the Discussion Tab to post your responses.


Assignment! Please read one of the books listed in our Bibliography Below and write a 1 page Discussion of the book.


Session 1: Introduction to the SAS System


I. Introduce yourself through this page. Use the Discussion Tab.
A. Tell the class your name, content area, and years in education.
B. What is the best part of education?
C. What is your worst experience in education?

Read Article
http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/staiv.htm

After you have read article, please write an article based on your reactions to what Alfie Kohn has to say about student assessment.


Access the Pa Department of Education SAS Portal.
http://www.pdesas.org/

Using the discussion Tabs (You may want to Type a Response in Microsoft Word, copy and paste it into the discussion tab area):
  1. Discuss the Clear Standards Tab in the SAS Portal.
  2. List and identify methods of implementing the Pennsylvania Standards into a curriculum.
  3. List and identify methods of implementing the Pennsylvania Anchors into a curriculum.
  4. List and identify methods of implementing the Pennsylvania Eligible Content into a curriculum.
  5. Discuss the vertical viewer of the Clear Standards tab.
  6. List and identify how the SAS system is designed to recognize curriculum development.

Session 2: Understanding the SAS System

Access the Pa Department of Education SAS Portal.
http://www.pdesas.org/
  1. Discuss the Reading, Writing, and Speaking Standards from the state of Pennsylvania.
  2. Discuss the Math Standards from the state of Pennsylvania.
  3. List and identify methods of implementing strategies in the classroom to improve your student’s literacy and math skills using SAS.
  4. Discuss the diagnostic tools on SAS and how it can help teachers and students develop reading, writing and math skills.
  5. List and identify how the SAS system is designed to recognize literacy acquisition.
  6. Discuss the various assessments listed on SAS and the importance of utilizing those tools in all content areas.

Session 3: Appropriate Monitoring and Assessment through the SAS System.

Access the Pa Department of Education SAS Portal.
http://www.pdesas.org/

  1. Discuss the importance of using the SAS Assessment tools.
  2. Identify how the assessment tools and the information will drive instruction.
  3. Discuss the importance of learning how to identify what a student knows and can do.
  4. Explain the importance of making instructional decisions.
  5. Identify and explain how to monitor progress over time using the diagnostic tools.
  6. Discuss the importance of providing students feedback about their work.
  7. Why is it important to use this feedback as a means of targeting the specific needs of the students and what specific instructional strategies are provided on the SAS system?

Session 4: Working with the Pennsylvania Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening Standards.


Hyperlink to Pennsylvania Reading Speaking and Listening Standards.

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/reading%2C_writing%2C_listening___speaking/7539

Click on the hyperlink below. Search for the lesson Language Arts 1 - Middle School: Figurative Language Review. The lesson focuses on Identifying
figurative language in poetry and using sensory details to create imagery and mood.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-engagement-language-arts

Discussion: Read the Standards in place for Reading Speaking and Listening in Pennsylvania and compare them to another state's standards. Through discussion board what information can you compare and contrast with our standards and the state you chose. Use the following objectives of our course to guide your discussion.

  1. Comprehension requires and enhances critical thinking and is constructed through the intentional interaction between reader and text.
  2. Why is it important to get your students to become familiar with the standards?
  3. A review of SAS and reasons to teach literacy skills across all content areas.
  4. Recognize the accountability of the teacher to establish literacy skills across the curriculum.
  5. Identify the responsibility of the teacher to teach students to write across all content areas.
  6. Identify the right and responsibility to ask for assistance in teaching literacy skills across the curriculum.
  7. Identify the necessity of a teacher who will set up the need for students to comprehend text and provide them with encouragement to motivate them.
  8. Regarding the video presented on Figurative Language, what did you think about the level of engagement from the students and the level of instruction from the teacher.
  9. Examine the rights of the student to know what behaviors they need to engage in and how becoming an excellent reader will enable them to succeed in all phases of life.
  10. Examine the rights of the student to have a teacher who will take the time to teach them how to become successful in all content areas.



Session 5: Working with the Pennsylvania Math Standards.

Click on the hyperlink below. Search for the lesson Mathematics 2 - Middle School: 2 Step Equations: pt 2.
In this lesson, the instructor begins by reviewing the essential question and goals for the day and then defines the new concept of two-step equations.
http://www.pdesas.org/Instruction/Search/
Mathematics 2 - Middle School: 2 Step Equations: pt 2

Link to Pennsylvania Mathematics Standards
http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/Views#0|774|0|0
Discussion: Read the Standards in place for Reading Speaking and Listening in Pennsylvania and compare them to another state's standards. Through discussion board what information can you compare and contrast with our standards and the state you chose. Use the following objectives of our course to guide your discussion.
  1. Why is it important to get your students to become familiar with the standards?
  2. A review of SAS and reasons to teach math across all content areas.
  3. Review the Pennsylvania Standards and describe what students should know and be able to do.
  4. Identify the role of the standards and how they increase in complexity and sophistication specifically to the math area as student’s progress through school.
  5. Examine the Standards Aligned tool and the importance of locating specific standards, anchors, and eligible content in Math.
  6. Discuss the need for effective instruction in math for the elementary and secondary student.
  7. Discuss the instruction presented in the video regarding Equations. What is your thought on the level of engagement, and the level of instruction?

Assignment: Participants will be asked to look carefully at the PA standards in a content area that they will be teaching. They will identify what are the transferable big ideas in the standard. They will identify how those standards are related to other disciplines.

Session 6: Curriculum and Learning.



Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions:


  1. Identify why reflection is important to issues related to the content of instruction.
  2. Identify the importance of planning instructional content for our diverse and inclusive classrooms.
  3. Identify and discuss “power standards”.
  4. Identify and discuss “Big Ideas”.
  5. Examine the importance of “Essential Questions”.
  6. Describe what students should know as a result of instruction.
  7. Describe and discuss what students should be able to do as a result of instruction.

Session 7: The Importance of Explicit Instruction.

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions:

  1. Identify and discuss the importance of teaching topics aligned to the standards.
  2. Identify and discuss the right level and challenge and rigor of the topic.
  3. Examine the importance of focusing teaching based on the learning level of the student.
  4. Examine the importance of implementing instructional strategies to increase student achievement.
  5. Describe why the standard and instruction should reflect something for the students to know in years to come.
  6. Discuss why the standard and instruction should not reflect a passing trend.
  7. Discuss why the standard should have relevance and applicability in more than one subject area.

Watch the video presented on explicit instruction, why is it important for a teacher and student when presented with new material?
When you click on the hyperlink, a page will come up with radio boxes and topics. Click on Differentiated Instruction, scroll down to Grade 4 of Science and you will see Molar Mass as a topic. Click on it, and it will link to the video.
http://www.pdesas.org/Instruction/Search/



Social Studies 2 - High School: Early American Innovation

Session 8: Maximizing the Impact of Instruction:

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions:

  1. Discuss the importance of moving a student from where they are in order to move them forward.
  2. Discuss the importance of analyzing the standard to determine where it will fit in the knowledge and skill continuum.
  3. Identify the importance of determining a student’s current level of performance.
  4. Identify the importance of connecting ideas that are relevant to the learner.
  5. Discuss and analyze the importance of interest inventories.
  6. Illustrate how the content of what is taught and its effect on designing effective instruction.
  7. Illustrate how structuring the content of instruction to student learning addresses content standards.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/differentiating-instruction
Click on the lesson - Science 4 - High School: Differentiation of Instruction
Why is assessment a key part of differentiation?
What kinds of assessments could/should these be?
What aspects of your lesson can be tiered to meet students at their level?
What are simple ways you can start differentiating tomorrow?
More difficult ways you can work at over the year?

Session 9: Collaboration and Classroom Instruction.

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions:

  1. Discuss why the collaboration between standards-based reform and teachers are imperative.
  2. Discuss the importance of standards-based classrooms, diverse student and teacher populations should benefit group collaboration.
  3. Discuss the Voluntary Model Curriculum (VMC) on the SAS Portal and its impact on instruction.
  4. Discuss the importance of incorporating learning progressions, units, lesson plans, and content resources aligned to the Pennsylvania standards into classroom instruction.
  5. Identify why it is important for the curriculum team to discuss the diagnosis of need for a curriculum.
  6. Discuss the importance of the team and what the objectives would be in writing the curriculum.
  7. Discuss as a team the importance of working collaboratively to select content.

Assignment: Participants will be asked to survey a variety of people regarding their ideas about what should be taught in schools. The probing questions will elicit responses of what people feel should determine what knowledge is worthy of being taught.

For the Following Sessions Participants Should Choose Content Material from their own Classrooms or Assignments:


Session 10: Development of Curriculum

Assignment: Watch the video about curriculum development, and aligning curriculum within and across grade levels

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/aligning-curriculum-within-across-grades

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Discuss the principles for selecting content.
  2. Discuss and identify what students should learn and how they should be taught.
  3. Discuss the importance of the teacher’s role in identifying how it should be learned and taught.
  4. Identify the principles on identifying the strengths and needs of individual students and how to develop a curriculum to meet those needs.
  5. Identify and discuss how the team will evaluate the progress of students.
  6. Discuss the importance of using professional development opportunities to guide the implementation of the curriculum.
  7. Discuss the importance of looking at the effects of differing contexts to different students and how to evaluate if the differentiation of instruction is effective.

Session 11: Analyzing Content for Instruction

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Define factual knowledge in curriculum.
  2. Identify the need to analyze curriculum for factual knowledge.
  3. Define conceptual knowledge in curriculum.
  4. Identify the need to analyze curriculum for conceptual knowledge.
  5. Define procedural knowledge in curriculum.
  6. Identify the need to analyze curriculum for procedural knowledge.
  7. Discuss how instructional planning is crucial in the development of curriculum.

Session 12: Organize Content

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Discuss the need to understand the definition of good instruction.
  2. Understand the principals of organizing content and skills.
  3. Evaluate the importance of analyzing content in terms of factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge.
  4. Identify and discuss the necessity for aligning content and skills throughout instructional units.
  5. Identify and develop units and lessons that are instructionally aligned.

Assignment: Participants will be asked to look at a textbook that they currently use or will be using in their future. They will be asked to identify examples of factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge.

Session 13: Planning Content for Instruction

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Analyze the scope of what will actually be taught.
  2. Determine the importance of the content to be taught.
  3. Identify the most significant ideas for enduring understanding.
  4. Discuss why the knowledge and skills taught must be representative of the content area.
  5. Discuss why the content and skills should be engaging for students.
  6. Evaluate and determine if the sequencing of the subject matter and content are chronological and thematically aligned.
  7. Evaluate and determine the content to measure if content has similar goals that lead to broad understandings.

Session 14: Designing Instructional Objectives, Assessment, and Instruction

Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Discuss the definition of “good teaching”.
  2. Discuss the importance of clear instructional objectives that are aligned with assessments and instruction.
  3. Identify and discuss the purpose and forms of instructional objectives.
  4. Identify and discuss the role of formative and summative assessments.
  5. Analyze and evaluate the appropriate strategies to help students achieve instructional objectives.
  6. Identify and write clear instructional objectives to choose appropriate assessments and instructional strategies

Session 15: Implementing Objectives for Instruction





Discussion: Please answer the following discussion questions

  1. Identify the importance of the objectives supporting a student’s learning.
  2. Identify the importance of the objectives facilitating a variety of concepts.
  3. Discuss and identify if the objectives are congruent with planned assessments.
  4. Discuss and identify if the objectives are measurable and attainable for all students.
  5. Analyze the importance of making the students active participants in the learning process.
  6. Analyze the importance of making the objectives adaptable for all grade levels and a diversity of students.
  7. Analyze and discuss why the objectives should provide an opportunity for students to develop critical thinking skills as well as learning concepts and skills.

Bibliography- Choose One (1) Book to Read and Write a One (1) page review.Airasian, P.W. (2005) Classroom Assessment: Concepts and Applications (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Anderson, L.W. (1982). Teachers, Teaching, and Educational Effectiveness. Columbia: University of South Carolina, College of Education.
Berliner, D.C. (1986). In Pursuit of the Expert Pedagogue. Educational Researchers, 15, 7-9.
Bloom, B.S. (Ed). (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals by a Committee of College and University Examiners. New York: Longmans, Green.
Bloom, B.S. (1983). Human Characteristics and School Learning. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Brooks, Sharon. (2007). High Stakes Testing. Harvard Education Letter. Vol. 21. No. 4.
Bruch, P.L. Jehangir, R.R., Jacobs, W.R., & Ghere, D.L. (2004). Enabling access: Toward multicultural developmental curricula. Journal of Developmental Education, 27(3), 12-19; 41.
Drake, S.M. (2007). Creating standards-based integrated curriculum: Aligning curriculum, content, assessment, and instruction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Eggen, P.S., & Kauchak, D.P. (2006). Strategies and Models for Teachers: Teaching Content and Thinking Skills (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Fogarty, R. J., & Stoehr, J. (2007). Integrating curricula with multiple intelligences: Teams, themes, and threads. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Jensen, E. (2005). Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Lasley, T.J. (1981). Research Perspectives on Classroom Management. Journal of Teacher Education, 32 (2), 14-17.
Marzano, R. J. (2001). A Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Ogle, D.M. (1986). K-W-L: A Teaching Model that Develops Active Reading of Expository text. The Reading Teacher, 39, 564-570.
Rosenshine, B. (1983). Teaching Functions in Instructional Programs. Elementary School Journal, 83, 338.
Slavin, R. (1996). Education for All. Exton, PA: Swets and Zeitlinger Publishers.
Slavin, R.E. (2000) Educational Psychology: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Tomlinson, C .A. (2003). Fulfilling the promise of the Differentiated Classroom: Strategies and Tools for Responsive Teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Walker, J. (2009). Authoritative Classroom Management: How Control and Nurturance Work Together. Theory into Practice, 48, 122-129.
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (Expanded 2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.